Letters: It's lion country

The Santa Monica Mountains do not stop in Malibu. The range runs all the way east to Griffith Park. Still, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area biologists seldom go east of Topanga Canyon.

Surprise! Information sent over the years to the biologists on mountain lions east of Topanga and east of the 405 Freeway finally has been supported by a photo. The young lion could as easily have come from the Stone Canyon area, where female lions have been seen off and on for years.

Hikers should be aware of their surroundings anywhere in the mountains, not just in Malibu or in Griffith Park. The wild world of the Santa Monicas is rich, wonderful and sometimes hazardous to the unwary.